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So I finally have a PC that's not a potato. Now what.

XxEvil AshxX

By XxEvil AshxX
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XxEvil AshxX

XxEvil AshxX

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I bought it so that I can finally get back to my original photography workflow and stop using Adobe software that's six versions too old. Apparently, it can play games too. What is something I can try it out on that intrinsically a PC experience? Anything multiplatform, I've probably already played. i.e. Gears, God of War, Spiderman, etc. I've looked at the PC Game Pass offerings but most of those games have console versions, and I'm not really an RTS guy, either.

 

It's not a top of the line machine by any means, but compared to my Dell from 2009 it's no slouch.

 

The stuff that matters I guess:

AMD Ryzen 7 5700

16 GB DDR4

GeForce RTX 3060

 

As far as PC games go, all i have is old shit like Gothic 3 and the OG Witcher.

 

I was looking at Lost Ark. Is that any good? The MMO slant to it is making me kind of iffy.

 

Also, not really related, but kinda related: I have no idea how RAM slots work nowadays. Back in the caveman days, if you had more than two RAM slots, and you tried pairing two, say, 128 MB chips with one 256 MB chip, it could kinda fuck things up. I like to think they've gotten smarter since then, but I have no idea. I have four slots in this thing with two 8 gig chips. I'd like to double the RAM but just buy one 16 gig chip. Is that still gonna cause issues or have they taken the past 30 years to finally straighten that out?

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XxEvil AshxX

XxEvil AshxX

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8 minutes ago, Mr.Vic20 said:

Seriously though, RAM now a days is sold in kits, usually two modules at a time. What resolution is your monitor? That has a decent baring on how well that 3060 will perform for you. 

 

The monitor is the next thing to get an upgrade. Right now it's an 1080p. BUT... when I upgrade it will be with Photography and image editing in mind, so it will likely be 1440p max (editing photos in 4k can get... small...) and have emphasis on color representation with profiles like sRGB and such. So things like HDR and stuff aren't a priority, since that would give me an inaccurate representation of what an image would look like when developed. Also, if I can afford one, it might even be 5:4 ratio. Cuz in photo and image editing, that vertical space is precious. (I realize if it's 5:4 it won't technically be 1440p).

 

I guess if I really wanted 4k I could run it out to my TV which is only a few feet away from my computer.

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Spork3245

Spork3245

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17 minutes ago, XxEvil AshxX said:

Also, not really related, but kinda related: I have no idea how RAM slots work nowadays. Back in the caveman days, if you had more than two RAM slots, and you tried pairing two, say, 128 MB chips with one 256 MB chip, it could kinda fuck things up. I like to think they've gotten smarter since then, but I have no idea. I have four slots in this thing with two 8 gig chips. I'd like to double the RAM but just buy one 16 gig chip. Is that still gonna cause issues or have they taken the past 30 years to finally straighten that out?

 

You can add a single 16gb stick of additional ram and be fine, but you're better off buying two 8gb sticks for roughly the same price so they run in dual-channel. The ram you're referencing that must be used in pairs or it won't work was Intel's RD-RAM iirc, which was absolute shit.

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Spork3245

Spork3245

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Oh, and what resolution are you playing at? If it's only 1080p you should be able to max or almost max just about anything and get 45-60fps+ (40s are great if you have a VRR display that maintain VRR into the mid-40s, as it makes variable fps much less noticeable and lower fps seem smoother) with a 3060 believe it or not. If that's the case, try Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition, should be able to find it dirt cheap, and CyberPunk.

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XxEvil AshxX

XxEvil AshxX

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1 minute ago, Spork3245 said:

 

You can add a single 16gb stick of additional ram and be fine, but you're better off buying two 8gb sticks for roughly the same price so they run in dual-channel. The ram you're referencing that must be used in pairs or it won't work was Intel's RD-RAM iirc, which was absolute shit.

 

To be fair, most RAM back then was shit lol. But yeah, that's probably what I'm thinking of. What I want to avoid is losing RAM in order to upgrade. So IF I wanted to go above and beyond, I could buy two 16 GB chips and pop those in and be fine? Probably overkill for gaming but the more Adobe and editing apps I can have open at the same time, the better.

 

As far as gaming resolution goes, it will probably never top 1440p because a 4k monitor is low on my priority list.

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XxEvil AshxX

XxEvil AshxX

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Ok, more stupid RAM questions, because I'm old and haven't tinkered with PC shit in a very long time.

 

Used to be, the speed of the RAM had to be exact, or it would also throw things out of whack. The speed of my RAM is 3000Mhz. Is newer RAM backward compatible, as long as it has the same pin config? Like, a 3200 or 3600 will work, as long as it's not slower than the other RAM? They'll just run at the 3000 speed of the slower RAM chips?

 

EDIT: Wow, RAM is fuckin' cheap now. I remember spending $200 on a single 256 MB chip lol.

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Spork3245

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13 minutes ago, XxEvil AshxX said:

Ok, more stupid RAM questions, because I'm old and haven't tinkered with PC shit in a very long time.

 

Used to be, the speed of the RAM had to be exact, or it would also throw things out of whack. The speed of my RAM is 3000Mhz. Is newer RAM backward compatible, as long as it has the same pin config? Like, a 3200 or 3600 will work, as long as it's not slower than the other RAM? They'll just run at the 3000 speed of the slower RAM chips?

 

EDIT: Wow, RAM is fuckin' cheap now. I remember spending $200 on a single 256 MB chip lol.

 

Get the same speed as your current RAM or the faster ram will need to downclock to match it.

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XxEvil AshxX

XxEvil AshxX

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6 minutes ago, Spork3245 said:

 

Get the same speed as your current RAM or it the faster ram will need to downclock to match it.

 

Will that cause issues? I'm ok with losing the extra 200mhz if it downclocks automatically. Just a quick check on Amazon doesn't reveal a whole lot of 3000 options but there are plenty 3200.

 

If I was home right now I'd look up the model of the motherboard to see what the max speed it will support is.

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Spork3245

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6 minutes ago, XxEvil AshxX said:

 

Will that cause issues? I'm ok with losing the extra 200mhz if it downclocks automatically. Just a quick check on Amazon doesn't reveal a whole lot of 3000 options but there are plenty 3200.

 

If I was home right now I'd look up the model of the motherboard to see what the max speed it will support is.

 

Should be fine afaik, but I never looked into it all that much so double check me. If you want to be safe you could just go ahead and replace the ram that's in there since DDR4 prices have dropped so much and get 2x 16gb for now

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XxEvil AshxX

XxEvil AshxX

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7 minutes ago, Spork3245 said:

 

Should be fine afaik, but I never looked into it all that much so double check me. If you want to be safe you could just go ahead and replace the ram that's in there since DDR4 prices have dropped so much and get 2x 16gb for now

 

Yeah, I was looking and I could get four 16 GB chips for less than $200. So I might just do that and be done with it. 

 

Off to work now. Thanks for all the info everybody!

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crispy4000

crispy4000

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3 hours ago, Mr.Vic20 said:

Steam -> Steam sale -> buy a ton of games -> play 2 of them - > Steam Sale - > buy a ton of games... 

 

3 hours ago, XxEvil AshxX said:

 

So just like console then....


Not really.


- Redeem free games each week on EGS.

 

- Redeem games on Amazon Prime Gaming each month if you have a Prime subscription.

 

- Check r/gamedeals periodically for interesting game bundles with Steam keys, particularly from Humble and Fanatical.  

 

- Use the Enhanced Steam plugin for better pricing on Steam keys than Valve’s storefront.

 

- Check GMG if you want to buy anything new that’s AAA.

 

- Become bitter about Steam sales sucking.

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crispy4000

crispy4000

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14 minutes ago, Fizzzzle said:

what is this new devilry?


Amazon gives away PC games each month for subscribers.  Most are DRM free in their own launcher.  There’s some occasional indie gems in there, like Blazing Chrome, Yoku's Island Express and Furi, for example.
 

Lately they’ve been doing partnerships with other storefronts (EA,Epic,GoG,Ubi) for AAA and AA games.  It’s AC Origins and Shadow of Mordor this month.

 

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cusideabelincoln

cusideabelincoln

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15 hours ago, XxEvil AshxX said:

I bought it so that I can finally get back to my original photography workflow and stop using Adobe software that's six versions too old. Apparently, it can play games too. What is something I can try it out on that intrinsically a PC experience? Anything multiplatform, I've probably already played. i.e. Gears, God of War, Spiderman, etc. I've looked at the PC Game Pass offerings but most of those games have console versions, and I'm not really an RTS guy, either.

 

It's not a top of the line machine by any means, but compared to my Dell from 2009 it's no slouch.

 

The stuff that matters I guess:

AMD Ryzen 7 5700

16 GB DDR4

GeForce RTX 3060

 

As far as PC games go, all i have is old shit like Gothic 3 and the OG Witcher.

 

I was looking at Lost Ark. Is that any good? The MMO slant to it is making me kind of iffy.

 

Also, not really related, but kinda related: I have no idea how RAM slots work nowadays. Back in the caveman days, if you had more than two RAM slots, and you tried pairing two, say, 128 MB chips with one 256 MB chip, it could kinda fuck things up. I like to think they've gotten smarter since then, but I have no idea. I have four slots in this thing with two 8 gig chips. I'd like to double the RAM but just buy one 16 gig chip. Is that still gonna cause issues or have they taken the past 30 years to finally straighten that out?

 

15 hours ago, XxEvil AshxX said:

Ok, more stupid RAM questions, because I'm old and haven't tinkered with PC shit in a very long time.

 

Used to be, the speed of the RAM had to be exact, or it would also throw things out of whack. The speed of my RAM is 3000Mhz. Is newer RAM backward compatible, as long as it has the same pin config? Like, a 3200 or 3600 will work, as long as it's not slower than the other RAM? They'll just run at the 3000 speed of the slower RAM chips?

 

EDIT: Wow, RAM is fuckin' cheap now. I remember spending $200 on a single 256 MB chip lol.

 

14 hours ago, XxEvil AshxX said:

 

Will that cause issues? I'm ok with losing the extra 200mhz if it downclocks automatically. Just a quick check on Amazon doesn't reveal a whole lot of 3000 options but there are plenty 3200.

 

If I was home right now I'd look up the model of the motherboard to see what the max speed it will support is.

3200 and 3600 are the most popular DDR4 speeds right now. 3600 probably offers the best value as it's only a little bit more than 3200 and can make a difference for gaming. But for most other tasks outside gaming, you're not going to see much of a benefit from RAM speed.

 

All DDR4 speeds are backwards compatible, so you can mix and match speeds and it should work most of the time, with the only downside being you will either have to run all the sticks at the slower speed or try to overclock the slower sticks to match the higher speeds. There are certain scenarios where if you mix and match specific sticks the system won't boot, or if it does boot you will have to run the sticks at speeds lower than you paid for, but you'd have to have a crazy configuration to do that and it will also depend on what motherboard you have too.

 

But the recommendation to just get new sticks is a good one. If you need 64GB to do your work, you can get 2x32GB of DDR4-3600 for under $200. This will be the simplest way (as in you won't have to fiddle with manually setting timings and latencies) to upgrade and practically guarantees compatibility. Otherwise you can save like $10-20 and get 4x16GB.

 

If you only need 32GB to get your work done, then I'd recommend just grabbing any cheap 2x8GB DDR4-3200 kit from Amazon and it really shouldn't have any problems running at 3000 MHz to match your current sticks. 2x16GB of DDR4-3200 sticks should also work if you went for a middle ground. But depending on what type of RAM you have now, there is a higher chance of running into a compatibility issue with either of these options because 2x8 and 2x16 have been on the market for so long and there are so many different configurations out there. If you were to just toss random speeds and brands together, 95% of the time mix and matching should work, but there is that 5% chance it won't, and that's basically what we're doing here with the information we have. If you do your research and get sticks that are capable of downclocking to the same speed and timings (which is pretty much guaranteed because 3000 MHz is now considered really slow) and are the same rank as your current sticks, everything should work fine.

 

And one important tip: You should check your BIOS to make sure it's configured correctly, not only when you upgrade but right now because you can't always trust system builders to set it right. You'll want to make sure the XMP profile for the memory is enabled, otherwise it's going to run at  2133 or 2666 MHz and be a noticeable hit to performance. And when you change the memory speed in the BIOS there is one other setting related to it that will affect performance that you need to manually set yourself. This is called the Infinity Fabric speed, will typically be labeled as FCLK in the BIOS. This speed needs to match the "real" speed you set your memory to. Your current DDR4-3000 is actually running at 1500 MHz (double pumped, to effectively make it 3000 MHz), so the FCLK needs to be 1500 MHz. If you get DDR4-3600, your FCLK needs to be set at 1800 MHz. If these settings aren't in sync with each other, and you set one or the other higher or lower or anything but the same, then the CPU will cut whatever value you set as your FCLK in half and tank your performance.

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cusideabelincoln

cusideabelincoln

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13 hours ago, crispy4000 said:

 


Not really.


- Redeem free games each week on EGS.

 

- Redeem games on Amazon Prime Gaming each month if you have a Prime subscription.

 

- Check r/gamedeals periodically for interesting game bundles with Steam keys, particularly from Humble and Fanatical.  

 

- Use the Enhanced Steam plugin for better pricing on Steam keys than Valve’s storefront.

 

- Check GMG if you want to buy anything new that’s AAA.

 

- Become bitter about Steam sales sucking.

 

Also check deal sites, like Slickdeals.net. Sometimes GOG will offer free games. Steam has been randomly making games free (usually older titles). Microsoft also randomly making games free for PC or Xbox. etc etc.

 

16 hours ago, best3444 said:

For the tech heads here, how does his specs compare to the new consoles?

 

Raw performance puts his PC ahead of the Series S, but a little behind the PS5/SeX. So it can easily handle 1080p gaming and currently do well in 1440p gaming.

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XxEvil AshxX

XxEvil AshxX

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5 hours ago, cusideabelincoln said:

Raw performance puts his PC ahead of the Series S, but a little behind the PS5/SeX. So it can easily handle 1080p gaming and currently do well in 1440p gaming.

 

That's interesting. I'm actually kind of surprised that it ranks that high. Honestly the gaming is more of a bonus. I do 99 percent of my gaming on my Series X anyway. But there are those games that will never come to console that I'd be interested in checking out, so it's good to know that it should be able to handle most things at medium/high settings. 

 

@cusideabelincoln thanks for the rundown. I haven't yet dug into my BIOS, but I'll definitely give it a look to see what those settings are set to.

 

Also, am I the only one that read FCLK as "fuck lick" or is that just how my brain works?

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  • 2 months later...
XxEvil AshxX

XxEvil AshxX

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It's that time again!  Time for dumb PC questions.

 

So GOG's pretty much been my bff for the past few months and I'm enjoying a lot of older RPG's and such that I didn't catch the first time around (or I did, but it was a shitty console port). Anyways.... a lot of them I've been playing in stretched view because they only support 5:4. On top of that it just looks kinda crappy because it's not native resolution.

 

Anyways, I was digging around in a lot of my old shit at my mom's house and I found my old HP computer in a box, complete with my old 1280x1024 monitor. It's has a vga hookup, naturally, but I was wondering....

 

If I bought an adapter for my PC, which supports 3 outputs.. would I be able to hook it up as a third monitor and output the game to that monitor at native resolution, while still having my other monitors at 1080p? or would it fuck all three? A lot of times I'm running Youtube or have a browser open on the other screen while I'm playing a game, and I was just wondering if my GPU is capable of outputting multiple resolutions at once.

 

 

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SimpleG

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46 minutes ago, XxEvil AshxX said:

It's that time again!  Time for dumb PC questions.

 

So GOG's pretty much been my bff for the past few months and I'm enjoying a lot of older RPG's and such that I didn't catch the first time around (or I did, but it was a shitty console port). Anyways.... a lot of them I've been playing in stretched view because they only support 5:4. On top of that it just looks kinda crappy because it's not native resolution.

 

Anyways, I was digging around in a lot of my old shit at my mom's house and I found my old HP computer in a box, complete with my old 1280x1024 monitor. It's has a vga hookup, naturally, but I was wondering....

 

If I bought an adapter for my PC, which supports 3 outputs.. would I be able to hook it up as a third monitor and output the game to that monitor at native resolution, while still having my other monitors at 1080p? or would it fuck all three? A lot of times I'm running Youtube or have a browser open on the other screen while I'm playing a game, and I was just wondering if my GPU is capable of outputting multiple resolutions at once.

 

 

Shouldnt be an issue. Dragging windows between the monitors when they are different resolutions can be a little weird though. I have 4k monitor and 1440p monitor at the same time. 

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HardAct

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On 9/12/2022 at 7:44 AM, Mr.Vic20 said:

Steam -> Steam sale -> buy a ton of games -> play 2 of them - > Steam Sale - > buy a ton of games... 

DON'T DO IT, but seriously DO it! NO......Wait......Don't Do IT!, seriously though yea do it! WAIT STOP......Don't DO IT, serio........

 

That's my life though you do you friend!

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